Breaking hearts and smiling to dollars (Part Two)

We have been told so many stories about what happened and it appears that management has passed the buck squarely at the doors of players. Players are said to have been grossly indiscipline. They exhibited high sense of betrayal to National course and jettison nationalism. Their sense of patriotism has been questioned. The news of these players refusal to train and even threatened not to honour the last game in the group if their appearance fees was not paid incensed and infuriated every Ghanaian.

Worst still, the entire world woke up to the news that government has yielded to pressure and is to send over three million dollars to Brazil under special arrangements. Compare what pertained in the camp of the black stars to the Greece National Team who urged their government to use their bonuses to put up a national monument in honour of their appearance at the world cup. The attitude and behavior of our team to say the least is scornfully distasteful.

For sure, Ghana was let down.

The player brouhaha we are told accentuated to a point where management had to exchange unpleasant words with players which erupted in physical exchanges. This is where management went viral and sacked the “earing players of Sulley Ali Muntari and Kelvin Prince Boateng”.

Of course, Muntari had been yellow carded twice so was not eligible to play that last game, but his exploits and display in the two previous games reveals his determination, zeal and ready to die for Ghana on the field. His precision in passing and fighting to obtain and prevent opponents from wreaking havoc on our team were exemplary. It is evident that his absence in the team’s last game showed the tremendous role he had play as the center could not hold.

Their dismissal from the camp gravely affected the psychology and spirit of the team. It shocked some of the players and nearly led to a boycott as some others felt that their colleagues were unfairly singled out for standing against a management that lacked maturity.

By this action, the team spirit had been broken, interest in the next game waned and the outcome was shambolically catastrophic.

The coach decision to expelling these players we are told has been backed by the Ghana Football Association. So where lies collective responsibility? Both players and management betrayed national loyalty- simplicita!

Let me posse some rhetoric’s:

1. Is Sulley Ali Muntari playing for any team in the world? Yes

2. Is Kelvin Prince Boateng playing in any team in the world? Yes

3. Have their club and team management been able to contain their dark sides for the success of their teams? Yes

Surely then, how come these players can be managed in their clubs yet cannot be managed for our good when they are in Ghana? This is not the first time players have been treated this way by management. At least, I recall Samuel Osei Kufour and the hullaballoo on jerseys that eventually led to his exit from the Black Stars and many others. That these players can be managed by some clubs to the good of their clubs is sufficient to say that we lack competent management.

Our technical inability to look for the positives in players must not be compensated with another chance to handle our national team. If Maccini, can engage in physical exchanges with Mario Balotteli and still use him in a game for the benefit of the team how come our coach is so obsessed with empty pride?

Even worse, our team is now divided by “the corrupt and anti-corrupt crop of players”. Ala Kelvin Prince Boateng. Management has created a wedge amongst the playing body that the camaraderie that hitherto existed among our players has been lost.

The continued stay of this management would lead us nowhere. Our coach has the effrontery to tell us that he would not invite and use the talents of some of the most gifted players simply because he lacks capacity to tolerate their behavior. He describes them as bad influence. Well, I have news for him; He has been the worse that happened to the team and the Black Stars. His actions made us to exit the world cup when by every standard we should have progressed.

The players beat Germany but the coach lost the game or better still, sold the game to the Germans. We outplayed the USA but our coach benched seasoned players in anticipation of the USA team to get tired. Clearly, our coach thinks because he has failed in taken his side through endurance, the USA can be stamina suspect- aba!

This is our National Team, this is our National Pride and this is the Black Stars. We have to go for the best players not the best character for character can be managed.

I surely, think that if the attitude of our coach is to exclude players he dislikes and bring those he likes irrespective of their talent and capability, then we should be ready for more disastrous outcomes.

By the way, did anyone watch the Brazil V Germany game at the semifinals? What a wow? (curtsy, Kalibos). Unbelievable, the team we (players) beat but sold by our coached mulled the host team seven goals to one. The Germans won every game in this World Cup except the one against Ghana, evidently, therefore, the Black Stars had everything to be in the Finals but the immature and uniformed management cost this nation. I salute Germany for winning the 2014 World Cup but curse our Management for injuring our Nation. It is not forgivable! The Press conference organized by the GFA to response to the many issues relating to our exit from the world cup does not add up.

If our coach cannot manage character of players, he is not worth his job, period!